16 escape death after ceiling collapse in Ras Al Khaimah

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16 escape death after ceiling collapse in Ras Al Khaimah

Ras Al Khaimah - All family members were sleeping in other rooms when the room ceiling fell down.

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Published: Wed 13 Jul 2016, 12:00 AM

Last updated: Thu 14 Jul 2016, 9:45 AM

A 16-member Emirati family escaped certain death after a big part of the concrete ceiling of their decades-old house at the Filya area fell down late on Monday.
"Luckily, there was no one in when the room ceiling collapsed," said 55-year-old Mariam Rashid, known as Umm Fahem.
All family members were sleeping in other rooms when the room ceiling fell down, she added.
"Most of the children frequently enter this room most of the daytime as it contains a fridge and the family iron the clothes there as well."
Fortunately, none was hurt, Umm Fahem pointed out. "The fridge, which was close to the wall, was not damaged as well."
The room ceiling collapse caused a big bang that scared all the 16 members of the family who were all asleep. "The floor of the house terribly shock, and the electricity was disconnected in the entire house."

Elaborating, Umm Fahem said she has been staying in the old house which was built in the early eighties at the Shaikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum locality, Filya area.
"I, and my 16-member family, have been living in the same house since then."
I got a grant from the Shaikh Zayed Housing programme to build a new house, but the contractor escaped before completing the house. "I still need Dh160,000 to build the remaining part of the house."
"My husband, who draws a monthly pension of Dh11,000, can't afford to build the house."
Two of Umm Fahem's married sons are staying with her in the same old house. "One of them has six children and the other has two sons and a pregnant wife, however, they can't afford buying separate houses."
Four other unmarried children of Umm Fahem, two daughters and two sons, are also staying with her in the same old house. "We all stay in the three-room house including the third where the ceiling collapsed."
My married children are staying in separate rooms generously built at the expenses of Shaikha Hana bint Juma Al Majid, the wife of His Highness Shaikh Saud bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Ras Al Khaimah.
"There years-old rooms have been built in my traditional house boundaries," she said, paying tributes to her for helping them.

Late in February 2014, a 10-member Emirati family here escaped certain death after a big part of the concrete ceiling of their almost 33 year old house fell down. The family was sleeping when the cracks appeared in the hall roof of the house built in the 80s at the Bin Kizi locality of Shaml area to the north of the emirate.
ahmedshaaban@khaleejtimes.com


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